Chair control

ABSTRACT

A chair control for a tilting chair having a simplified construction. The chair control has a control tube which is telescopically mounted in the tubular chair post of the chair. The control tube has a fixed control frame mounted on the top thereof and a tiltable frame pivotally mounted on the control frame. The tiltable frame is attachable to the underside of the chair seat. Spring biasing means is mounted within the control tube and operatively connected to the tiltable frame to yieldably resist pivotal movement of the tiltable frame under a backward tilt force applied by the occupant of the chair.

United States Patent [72] lnventor Frank Doerner Waterloo, Ontario, Canada [211 App]. No. 867,136 [22] Filed 06.17,!969 [45] Patented Sept. 7, 1971 [73] Assignee Doerner Products Co. Limited Ontario, Canada [54] CHAIR CONTROL 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figs. 52] Us. 0 248/381, 248/3 84, 248/402 {51 Int. Cl A47c 3/026 [50] Field 01 Search 248/381,

[56] Refereucs Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,689,599 9/1954 Mauser 248/382 3,185,430 5/1954 Bernard 248/381 3,206,153 9/1965 Burke 248/381 3,220,688 11/1965 Baermann 248/384 3,220,689 11/1965 Baermann 248/402 3,516,636 6/1970 Burke 248/381 FOREIGN PATENTS 518,340 2/1931 Germany 248/381 185,562 3/1937 Switzerland 243/372 328,370 4/1958 Switzerland 248/378 Primary Examiner-Marion Parsons, .1 r. Attorney-George H. Riches ABSTRACT: A chair control for a tilting chair having a simplified construction. The chair control has a control tube which is telescopically mounted in the tubular chair post of the chair. The control tube has a fixed control frame mounted on the top thereof and a tiltable frame pivotally mounted on the control frame. The tiltable frame is attachable to the underside of the chair seat. Spring biasing means is mounted within the control tube and operatively connected to the tiltable frame to yieldably resist pivotal movement of the tiltable frame under a backward tilt force applied by the occupant of the chair.

PATENTED SEP mm SHEET 1 OF lrwenfor FRANK DOERNER PATENTEDSEP 11971 3503553 SHEET 2 [IF 2 29 X 1 Fig.5.

lnvenro FRANK D NER AHorney CHAIR CONTROL Applicants chair control provides a simplified construction which can be easily removed from the chair post and easily mounted therein and which is inexpensive to produce. This is accomplished in applicant's construction by mounting the chair seat on a tiltable frame which is pivotably mounted on a control tube, constructed in accordance with this invention, containing the biasing means that yieldably resists the tilting of the frame.

The control means of this invention comprises a control tube having upper and lower ends, said member being mountable in a chair post for rotation therein about its longitudinal axis, a fixed control frame mounted on the upper end of the control tube at about right angles to the said longitudinal axis; a tiltable frame pivotally mounted on the fixed control frame, said frame being attachable to the underside of a chair seat thereby permitting pivotal movement of the seat between a normal stop position and a tilt stop position; a substantially rigid connecting rod mounted in the control tube with its longitudinal axis substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the control tube; said rod having at the end adjacent said tiltable frame means pivotally and detachably connecting said end to the tiltably frame; said rod having an extension on its other end projecting beyond the control tube, a centering member mounted on the lower end of the control tube adjacent to the lower end of the said last mentioned end and a bushing mounted on the lower end of the control tube through which said rod passes; the centering member being secured to the lower end of the control tube by a flange formed on the bushing, the centering member having a sliding fit with the inner wall of the tubular post and underlying the inner end of the bearing sleeve; and spring means mounted on said extension between said centering member and a retaining member mounted on said rod, whereby said spring yieldably resists pivotal movement of the control frame under a force applied by the occupant of the chair from the normal position to the tilt stop position. The chair control which has been briefly outlined will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a vertical cross section through the center of the chair control.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section similar to FIG. 1 but with the chair tilted backwards.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the chair shown in FIG. 1 to further illustrate the tiltable frame.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the chair and control shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross section on the line 55 FIG, 4.

The chair control of the present invention is shown as applied to a typical tilting chair having a chair base which has a tubular chair post 11, a chair seat 12 wit a chair back 13 and arm rest 14.

The chair control comprises a control tube 15 which is rotatably journaled in the chair post 11 by means of a sleeve 16 which is preferably in the form ofa nylon sleeve and which can be secured in the post; a fixed frame member 17 which is mounted on the top end of the control tube 15; a tiltable frame 18 which is pivotally connected to the fixed frame member 17 by a pivot hinge 19; and a biasing means which resists the backward tilting of the chair seat 12 and which comprises a substantially rigid connecting rod 20 which has its top end 21 connected to the fixed control frame 17 in the manner hereinafter described with reference to FIG. 3, the lower end 22 forming an extension on which is mounted a biasing spring 23. It will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 that the connecting rod is journaled and centered in the control tube with its longitudinal axis substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the control tube 15 by means of a bushing 24 which is carried on a centering washer 25. In addition to centering the connecting rod, the centering washer underlies the lower end of the sleeve 16 to prevent the chair control column being withdrawn from the chair post 11 when and if the chair is lifted from the floor.

The connection between the connecting rod 20 and the tiltable frame will now be described. Referring first to the tiltable frame, it will be seen from the drawings that its central portion is stamped out and bent downwardly to form a bracket member 26 having a T-shaped slot 27' which has a downwardly opening extension 27a that faces the control tube 15 and re gisters substantially with the longitudinally axis thereof. The slot 27 is formed with convex shoulders 28, 29. The upper end 21 of the connecting rod is in the form ofa substantially wide head which has its underfaces 30, 31 concaved to receive the convex shoulders 28, 29.

The spring 23 is held in position by means of an adjusting screw or nut 32. It will be seen by this arrangement, the spring is captured between the centering washer 25 and the adjusting screw 32. The fixed control frame 17 is also provided with adjustable stops 33, 34, the adjustable stop 33 determines the position of the seat in its normal position when no one is seated in the chair and the stop 34 determines the amount of backward tilt which is to be permitted.

To assemble the chair control to a chair base, the control tube is inserted in the control tube 111 into which has previously been placed, the bearing sleeve 16. The control rod with its centering washer 25, bushing 24, spring 23 and nut 32 are entered into the control tube through the bottom end thereof and the head 21 placed in the slot 27 with the faces 30, 31 seated on the shoulders 28, 29. The nut 32 is then tightened to apply the necessary tension on the spring 23. To dismantle the control, the reverse steps takes place.

What I claim is:

1. A chair control for a tilting chair having a chair seat, a chair base and a vertical tubular post supported by the base, comprising:

a. a control tube having upper and lower ends, said tube in a bearing sleeve securely mounted in said post, said tube being rotatable in the sleeve about its longitudinal axis;

b. a fixed control frame fixedly mounted on the upper end of the control tube at about right angles to the said longitudinal axis, said frame consisting of a substantially flat plate bordered by an upstanding flange;

. a pivotal frame attachable to the underside ofa chair seat permitting pivotal movement of the seat between a normal stop position; said pivotal frame having a pair of spaced apart downwardly projecting flanges which overlap the said upstanding flange and a slotted downwardly extending bracket attached centrally to the pivotally frame member;

d. a pivot pin pivotally connecting said flanges together at a point spaced horizontally from the vertical axis of the control tube;

. a substantially rigid connecting rod mounted in the control tube with its longitudinal axis substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the control tube; said rod having a head on its upper end said rod being entered through said slot of the bracket with the head engaging the said bracket;

g. said rod having an extension on its other end projecting beyond the control tube, a bushing mounted on the lower end of the control tube through which said rod passes, a centering member mounted on the lower end of the con trol tube and secured thereto by a flange formed on the lower end of said bushing, said centering member having a sliding fit with the inner wall of the tubular post and underlying the inner end of the sleeve, and

h. spring means mounted on said extension between said centering member and a retaining member mounted on said rod, whereby said spring yieldably resists pivotal movement of the pivotal frame under a force applied by the occupant of the chair from the normal position to the tilt stop position. 

1. A chair control for a tilting chair having a chair seat, a chair base and a vertical tubular post supported by the base, comprising: a. a control tube having upper and lower ends, said tube in a bearing sleeve securely mounted in said post, said tube being rotatable in the sleeve about its longitudinal axis; b. a fixed control frame fixedly mounted on the upper end of the control tube at about right angles to the said longitudinal axis, said frame consisting of a substantially flat plate bordered by an upstanding flange; c. a pivotal frame attachable to the underside of a chair seat permitting pivotal movement of the seat between a normal stop position; said pivotal frame having a pair of spaced apart downwardly projecting flanges which overlap the said upstanding flange and a slotted downwardly extending bracket attached centrally to the pivotally frame member; d. a pivot pin pivotally connecting said flanges together at a point spaced horizontally from thE vertical axis of the control tube; e. a substantially rigid connecting rod mounted in the control tube with its longitudinal axis substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the control tube; f. said rod having a head on its upper end said rod being entered through said slot of the bracket with the head engaging the said bracket; g. said rod having an extension on its other end projecting beyond the control tube, a bushing mounted on the lower end of the control tube through which said rod passes, a centering member mounted on the lower end of the control tube and secured thereto by a flange formed on the lower end of said bushing, said centering member having a sliding fit with the inner wall of the tubular post and underlying the inner end of the sleeve; and h. spring means mounted on said extension between said centering member and a retaining member mounted on said rod, whereby said spring yieldably resists pivotal movement of the pivotal frame under a force applied by the occupant of the chair from the normal position to the tilt stop position. 